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 NEON-
An inert gas found in the air you breathe.
The word
Neon is synonymous with
brilliantly colored signs and lighting. The Packard company displayed one of
the first signs commercially in the early 1900's and not long after
merchants realized neon's potential for grabbing attention. By the 1920's
neon would be used at the world fare to help showcase the latest in
technology. Since then we've used neon to create ambiance and excitement for
businesses and brands all over the world.
Neon lights come
in many vibrant colors. Minerals that exhibit florescence when illuminated
are used to coat the inside of glass tubing. Color pigment may also be
embedded in the glass itself. "Fill" gases such as
Argon,
Neon, and
Helium
are used inside of a vacuumed
tube with electrodes placed on each end for the introduction of electricity
to achieve color and illumination.
Neon Gas
produces a brilliant red glow when illuminated. Argon and helium are
combined to produce a dim blue light. Argon and helium serve as a carrier
for minuscule amounts of
Mercury
added to evoke the brilliant
glow found in fluorescent lighting. These factors are combined to achieve
brilliance in neon color and design.
Q: "How are neon lights produced?"Q1
A: I start with a strait neon tube that is 4 or 5 feet in length. I place
sections of the tube into fire generated from gas (natural or propane)
mixed with air.
There are several types of burners used
to deliver the fire that will allow me to heat different sized sections of
glass. I use cannon fires to heat a one to two inch section of the glass
to achieve a 90 degree bend. or I use a ribbon burner to heat sections up
to 15" in order to achieve a curved bend. A hand torch (the same as
a jewelers torch) is used to concentrate the flames on a small area of the
glass. I use this to blow holes in so I can attach a smaller piece of
glass that will allow me to put the needed gas and mercury inside during
the bombarding phase of production.
After a series of bends I eventually
have a design that conforms to a paper pattern. For instance the letter R
is printed on a paper pattern and I use my fires to bend the glass into
curves, 90 degree angles, or double backs to achieve the shape of the
pattern.
After I have my desired shape I add
electrodes to both ends of the glass tube. These are glass devices with
metal wires protruding out of the end to allow electricity to travel into
the neon tube freely. At this stage I must empty the neon
of air and impurities and add neon or argon gas plus mercury if needed.
I place the sign on a manifold
that has a vacuum pump that will evacuate the tube of all of its air
then I attach the metal leads on the electrodes to a huge bombarder that
sends high voltage electricity into the glass. My goal is to make my glass very
hot so that any impurities are burned to toast so they can be vacuumed
out. I get the metal inside of my electrodes red hot then I stop the
bombing process to allow my glass to cool again.
Once the glass is cool I add the
necessary gas. Argon makes blue light and neon makes red light. I fill my sign then use my hand
torch to melt the small piece of glass I added that allowed me to put
the needed gas in. This last step seals the deal literally and
figuratively. Now I can attach my neon to a
transformer and see the brilliant lights.
Q:
"If a
neon tube breaks can it be repaired?"Q2
A:
Most neon can be restored.
Signs typically are made in sections, if one section breaks the sign as a
whole fails. The broken section can be replaced and the entire sign will
work again.
If a section that is broken is clear with red (neon) gas inside of the neon
tube, it can be spliced and the original section can be restored as opposed
to total replacement.
Splicing should not be done with blue, green, purple (or argon/mercury
filled) units due to the presence of mercury and the associated health risk
that it poses to the bender. For this reason argon/mercury filled sections
should be replaced.
Q:
"Can the gas from
neon kill you?"Q2
A:
No, neon, in it's natural state, cannot kill
you. It is not poisonous or explosive like some other gasses and it is very
useful to us in many practical applications such as neon lighting, lasers,
TV tubes, refrigerant and more.
Neon is an inert gas found in the air we breathe. Inert means it is a very
stable and slow moving and it is not very reactive. It is the 10th element
(atomic number 10) on the periodic chart, this means that the element neon
contains a quantity of 10 protons inside of its atom's nucleus.
Q:
What
electronic transitions take place within the atom to give off the light and
certain spectra?Q3
A:
Transitions take place in the atom when
the electrons change in value due to the effects of collision.
Electricity is introduced
Into a neon tube through electrodes (a glass capsule with imbedded wires
that lead power from the outside to the inside of a completed neon tube,
which is otherwise sealed) at either end.
As the electricity
travels through the tube it causes the atoms inside to collide into one
another. These collisions result in the rearrangement of the electron
altering their value thus resulting in ionization, a point in which an atom
is positively charged. It is at this point that we are able to see the
illumination of a particular element.
As far as its spectra,
gases such as neon, argon, helium, xenon, and krypton as well as the "liquid
metal", mercury are found to produce the desired glow and colors. Any
combination of these gases can be used to achieve a spectrum of lighted
results.
Please visit hyperlinks located (above) on our neon facts page for
more detailed information on the various gases used in neon production.
Q:
I purchased beer sign but it was
not shipped well and the corner on the L is broken. Is this sign
totally no good now or can it be repaired.Q4
Yes, a local neon shop
or sign company can fix or remake a broken part of any neon sign; though,
many shy away from beer signs due to the high risk of breaking it again
during disassembly or reassembly, as well as, the inability to match
certain colors as many beer sign manufacturers use their own brand of
surface coating to achieve a unique look. I wouldn't even mention the
words beer and sign to a bender because odds are they will be reluctant to
accept your sign for repair.
A sign person may be
more willing to fix your beer sign if you are brave enough to trace the
unplugged sign (make a pattern of the broken piece), by placing the sign
flat on its face and carefully outline the broken part as it relates to
the rest of the sign and its frame. Then, only after you have a reliable
rendering carefully unwire and remove the broken pieces and take them
along with your pattern for repair, not the entire sign. (Warning: Be aware that there is probably a small bead of mercury that can fall out
while you are removing the broken parts so be sure to work over paper or
other material so that you might track any mercury spill. Consult your
local law for proper disposal).
Q:
I'm using a 15,000 transformer to
light up 60 feet of 15mm neon filled tubes what could cause an electric
discharge when you touch the glass of a neon tube and then touch a near by
object of metal?Q5
A:
A neon sign is high voltage. Although the
electrical charge is contained within the glass tube, it tends to omit a
strong electrical field called a corona. This Field is not dangerous coming
off of your sign but care should be taken to avoid metal to glass contact.
Because neon is high
voltage, electrodes and any exposed wiring should be properly insulated with
UL Listed materials. UL listed caps are used to cover electrode wires and
properly rated conduit enclose the wires that run through high voltage cable
(GTO) . All GTO splices should be done within listed splice enclosures
only. No exposed wire should be visible anywhere on your sign.
Q:
I have a friend who has a neon sign. He
gave it to me in hopes of repairing it. It has 2 wires coming off of it. It
has a wire at each end, and is about 3 ft in length. I know a little about
electricity, but nothing about neon. Is there a way to tell rather or not I
need a ballast, and if not, rather or not the sign is 120 or 220 volts, and
if it is 120V which end of the sign I would need to connect the positive to.
A:
You
do need a transformer. You must determine how much juice you will need to
power your sign. Power is measured in high voltages called secondary volts
(secondary because it steps up your- primary, 120 household current to high
volts needed for neon).
Transformers for neon
come in increments from 2000 -15000 secondary volts.
We choose the correct
transformer by figuring the over all length, the diameter, and the color of
the glass.
Q:
How can neon be
produced by a chemical reaction?Q6
A:
The type of reaction that you are referring to is more like an atomic
reaction, though many other factors and elements are combined to
achieve the affect of a brilliantly lit neon sign.
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First
there is the glass AKA silica. We start with 4' rods of hollow glass
tubing in varying
diameters. We mainly use a lead based glass because it is
more tolerant in high temperatures and it becomes
malleable easily and stays that way for a short period of time, enough to
work into a pattern.
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For Color,
there are pigments that can be
incorporated into the glass or pigments annealed onto the outside of the
glass tubing. There can
also be
phosphor
coatings inside of the glass tube. These
coatings are in powder form and the combination allows for a large range
of color options.
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Once the neon
words or designs are completed electrodes are added, They serve as a
pathway to allow electricity to travel inside a
finished neon element.
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All air is
vacuumed out of the tube and impurities are essentially burned away with
temperatures that reach 400 degrees or above.
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Once the glass
is cool we place one or more types of gas inside. Neon, argon, and
sometimes helium for cold temperatures.
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When using
argon gas a tiny bead of mercury is placed into the finished unit to
make it illuminate brighter.
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We seal in all
of the wanted elements, gas, mercury, and phosphates then introduce
electricity in through the metal leads on the electrodes that were placed
on opposite ends of the neon tube and then the action begins. We now
have the perfect environment for controlled chaos.
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There are high
voltage electrical wires that connect a transformer to one end and leads
to the electrodes that we placed on the neon tube. One on each end.
The electricity travels through the tube at astronomical speeds. The
opposing electrodes bat the electrons back and forth like a hyper tennis
match. In this environment the electrodes are bound to collide BOOM! It is
in this instance that you see the argon or neon glow. You are seeing the
result of the many explosions that happen when positive electrons collides
with a negative electrons.
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Multiply this activity
to infinity or the amount of time your neon is plugged in and there you
have it a constant and brightly lit neon tube.
Q:
Does cold temperature have an effect on how a neon sign works? We bought
a neon beer sign to to put in our attached but unheated garage and are
concerned that may damage it.Q7
A:
Yes indeed, cold weather has ad
effect on your neon.
A small bead of mercury
inside of every argon (blue gas) filled tube will condense in the cold and
vaporize in the heat. You will notice very low light output in the areas
that lack the needed mercury vapor to glow. This is not a problem with red
or neon filled tubes because neon doesn't require mercury to glow
brightly.
The problem reverses
itself if you were to heat your garage or bring your sign into a warmer
climate. There is no actual harm to your sign.
Q:
"How much does
it cost to repair a broken section on a neon sign?"
Q8
A:
It
depends on your location and the market in your area. Calling several
companies in your area to explain the nature of the problem for the best
estimate.
My price
for repair can start at $129.00 for a border tube and one trip. In
this case the client measured the tube so only one trip was necessary to
replace it. (This service is extended to existing customers with a prior
contract).
Other
factors that may effect your costs are travel to pick up a broken sign,
dismantling the sign and reassembly, replacing the entire unit vs. splicing
an area of glass on (due to mercury contamination shops vary), and the
replacement of parts such as wiring, transformers, etc.
Q:
If a neon
sign in a store window is blue,
does it really contain neon? Explain
Q9
A: The term neon is used broadly
to describe lighted signs, as well as, it's the name of the gas used to
achieve the red we see in red signs.
There are
traces of neon gas used in blue (argon filled tubes) and like colored
"neon" signs, but the prevailing and dominant gas is argon which is used
to achieve a dull bluish glow. Because argon filled tubes is so dull
mercury is needed to brighten argon filled tubes.
Helium gas is
also used in varying doses inside of blue and like colored "neon" when the
argon filled tubes are used in cold weather regions as argon loses it's
intensity under these conditions.
Q:
For longevity...is it
better to turn the sign off every night OR leave it on 24/7??
A:
I recommend that you leave your
sign on 24 hours a days 7 days a week. Like many devices, a neon transformer
will wear down more quickly with the act of turning your sign on and off.
Also, you will benefit from 24 hr. advertising if your sign is used to
promote your business.
Q:
Do neon lights flicker
when turned on?-
A:
A neon sign will flicker when certain
conditions exist.
1) Not enough primary or secondary power - An underpowered transformer will
struggle to sustain the demands of neon. Movie set designers have mastered
the art of under powering neon for a drastic "old sign" look.
2) An Electronic Transformer with a maximum load - Newer, electronic type
transformers will try to adjust up to handle taxing load requirements. This
will appear as flickering at startup but return to a constant light after
initial adjustment.
Q:
Is a broken neon tube carcinogenic?
A:
A neon sign that is filled with
argon gas is also typically filled with a small bead of mercury.
Mercury is found to be harmful to humans in concentrated amounts.
You might also find mercury in standard fluorescent lighting, as well as,
the new energy saving light bulbs that are quickly becoming popular
household items in the US. A cautious cleanup and disposal is recommended
for any of these items.
Now with all of that said NOT ALL NEON SIGNS ARE FILLED WITH MERCURY.
A neon sign that is filled with neon gas (red) is not typically filled with
any mercury at all. There's no apparent hazard outside of getting cut from a
broken piece of glass and this may seem obvious but be sure to unplug any
neon sign that is broken to avoid shock hazard or fire.
Q:
My neon sign has a little flicker in a small part of
it. Is the sign going bad or is this normal?
A:
A slight flicker near the
electrodes of a sign can be normal when a sign is relatively new. There is a
resistance inside of the tube that the electrons must work through in a new
sign in order for it to run smoothly.
This slight flickering
"snaking" will occur in mercury/argon filled units and not in neon filled
units.
Turn your sign off and on
in quick succession to remedy this flickering. You should not see this again
during the life of the sign.
Flickering can also occur
just before an older sign fails. This is usually accompanied by higher than
normal heat output form the tube in question as well as at the power source
(transformer). Your entire sign will most likely fail shortly if this
is the case. his is usually the first sign.
Visit the following
sites to learn more about neon
and related elements:
Visit:
Elementymology & Elements
Quick Neon Facts from KRYPTON NEON
(Visibility -Lumens
etc.)
Neon Advertising
Neon sign - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
INDEX of Chemical Properties
(Find printed source material)
How Stuff Works
(NEON -vs- Fluorescence)
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